I have moved to a commercial lease at 161 Hunter Street, just two shops up from the Emporium. I am still offering made to measure garments and custom designed formal wear with a vintage flair. My new little shop will also stock carefully curated accessories that compliment my designs for head-to-toe vintage glamour. I am so very grateful for the year I spent as part of The Emporium. Without the opportunity to test out my business face-to-face with customers I would never have had the courage to take on a commercial lease.

Working side by side with the other creative businesses in The Emporium was such an encouraging and inspiring environment to be part of. I learned so much from everyone there and I am so thankful for the advice and support I carry with me into the next step of this business venture. Thanks Renew Newcastle, would never have made it this far without you. I am proud to be a part of the vibrant small business culture you are helping grow right throughout Newcastle.

Who are you?
My name is Bree-Lacey Bickham. I design and make ladies clothing inspired by the glamour and femininity of vintage fashions.

I’m in love with the bygone times when a lady simply couldn’t do without her collection of frothy petticoats, and a matching hat and gloves gave the final touch to any outfit. I believe in the timeless beauty of a kind heart and the joy of putting a little bit of glamour into everyday.

What do you do?
I make one off ready to wear designs in unique fabrics, everything from beautiful reproduction vintage prints to the genuine article found in my Nan’s wonderful stash, sometimes even rescued from an op-shop and recycled.

A range of made to order designs is available for special occasion and evening wear, including bridesmaid dresses or
we can work together to make your vintage dream dress come to life with our bespoke design service.

We also teach sewing lessons! Passing on the skills I’ve learnt along the way and getting more people to fall in love with sewing is a passion of mine. Home sewing and handmade fashion is a beautiful thing, there is simply nothing like the feeling of stepping out in a garment you made yourself.

My wonderful Grandmother Ann Marie is responsible for introducing me to the world of sewing and all things crafty. I’m so glad she is taking part in this project with me, together we produce a small range of children’s clothing under the label “Me and Bree” with the same vintage flair as “With Love Bree-Lacey” designs.

Michele Nelson – Retail Assistant and a whole heap more. Also my Mum.
Michele will be running the retail part of the store while sewing lessons take place and she plays an integral part in keeping all the important details of the business in check. She is the best support person I could ever hope for and makes a fantastic fabric shopping buddy too.

What inspired you to get involved in Renew Newcastle?
How could you not be inspired by seeing talented creative people doing what they love and making Newcastle a better place for it? The Emporium is such a great initiative, the opportunity it gives for individual projects to collaborate and support each other is just incredible.

What are you doing in your space?
Our space in The Emporium will be a shop selling vintage inspired Ready to Wear fashion, while also functioning as our studio space offering Bespoke Design Services. Along with this we will be running children’s (11-16yrs) and adult (16yrs & up) sewing classes once we get settled in to the space.

Tell us about the space?
We have a lovely space at the entrance of The Emporium, which is set up in the beautiful old David Jones building on Hunter Street.

I believe the section in use at the front of the building used to have the cosmetics counters set up. I love the idea of harking back to the glamour of DJ’s staff helping women get all dolled up, picking out just the perfect shade of lipstick, painting their eyeliner just so. It seems fitting, don’t you think?

The most exciting part of the space though is sharing it with so many wonderful projects, getting to work alongside such talented creative people is going to be a blast!

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